April Fools on the Internet 2013: A Roundup

Since I don’t feel like getting pranked today, I’ve decided to stay away from society and just look for all the pranks on the internet.

Google usually has a bunch of good ones each year and a lot of other sites have followed in their footsteps and feature some really good pranks as well.

I’m going to try to post as many as I can on this page so hopefully you’ll be able to enjoy them all here.

Hope you enjoy them.

Google Treasure Maps

Google now has Treasure Maps. You can access the feature by clicking on the “Treasure” label when you’re in maps.

Google explained the treasure maps feature in a Youtube video saying they found a paper map off Madagascar identified as belonging to Captain Kidd.

“In September 2012 our team discovered a paper map that has been verified as Captain Kidd’s treasure map. However, we haven’t deciphered all the clues yet and its up to you to access his map and uncover the secrets. If we all work together, we can solve the mystery and find the long lost treasure. Read more on our blog: http://goo.gl/m2aSb

Google Nose

I noticed this Google Nose label while doing a search a couple hours ago. Google has apparently launched a new search engine based on smell.

Google Nose lets you take a whiff of their 15M+ scentibyte Aromabase where you can smell “wet dog”, “horse manure”, “car exhaust” and other smells. SafeSearch is included so you don’t smell stuff you don’t want to.

I tried it and got a search for “diaper”. When you click smell you get a pop-up that asks you to bring your nose as close to the screen and click enter.

Youtube Shutting Down Site To Pick Best Video

Youtube announced in a video that they’ll be shutting down the site so that they could pick the winner for best video after 8 years online.

I didn’t know they started Youtube as a contest. They’ll be announcing the winner in 2023.

GMail Blue

Google likes to play with all their products it seems. Gmail which was actually started on April 1st 2004, is turning it’s interface blue.

This one actually made me laugh especially the part where they tried other colors.

Guardian Goggles

Because life’s too short to think for yourself, the UK newspaper The Guardian has come up with the Guardian Goggles, an augmented reality specs that let’s you “see the world through the Guardian’s eyes at all times.”

They claim that Google’s own Glass technology was inspired by their own Goggles. Funny, because I think Google actually has something called Google Goggles.

Wolfram Alpha Handwriting Results

Twitter with No Vowels

Twttr gets in on the action announcing that they’re removing vowels from tweets. You can use the regular twitter with all your vowels for $5 a month.

They say that this change will be rolled out slowly over the next few days so you should start practicing not using vowels. They’ve even built a site that automatically transforms your tweets into the new format.

Virgin Launches Glass-Bottomed Plane

Would you ride a plane with a glass bottom? Would you look down at 30,000 ft in the air?

Virgin pulls a prank every year and this year they announced that they’ve launched the world’s first glass-bottomed plane. The service will only be available in Scotland though.

Vimeow from Vimeo

The video hosting site introduced a new service that will feature only cat videos. The staff also changed their name to stuff like Dae Mellencat and Cat Foodman.

Everything at Vimeo is now cats as the forum is now called the Litterbox and your mouse is now a real mouse that you can chase around the screen.

Samsung’s Eco Trees

The trees are loaded with technological advancements with features such as:

FOTA (Fragrance Over the Air) – trees bear S-buds that give off a nice fragrance while cleaning the air.

Smart Cooling via Smart Shades.

Smart View – just climbing the trees will elevate the altitude of your vision.

Group Play – add more Eco Trees to increase the effects of the functions mentioned.

Smart Share – Eco Trees produce S-eeds so you can share with family and friends free of charge.

Accessories available from dealers such as swings, ladders etc.

This was a nice one in my opinion. You know I love Samsung.

Kodak’s Wrist Kiosk

Kodak is coming up with a wrist kiosk, a watch that can print your photos. You can upload your photos via bluetooth, micro SD card or USB and it is also Wi-Fi enabled so you can access your photos from Facebook and Instragram.

The prints are too small though. So small that the device comes with tweezers and a magnifying glass.

Apple To Sell Steve Jobs Scent

Macworld UK announced that Apple has been working on a unisex perfume that has the fruity smell of Steve Jobs. The fragrance is called “Steve” and will be sold exclusively through Apple Stores worldwide.

The release also says that they think Samsung is working on their own scent known as “Sam”.

Sony’s Line of Electronics for Animals

Nokia Now Makes Microwaves

The 5AM-TH1N6 Constellation is Nokia’s new microwave product that comes in three colors – blue cheese cyan, lemon yellow and liquorice black and features ground-breaking technology like eye-tracking (the plate stops rotating when you look at it).

There are also apps, sensors and a PureFood camera that automatically shares pics on social media for your friends to rate and comment.

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